Begin Again Horse Rescue wins national award

The nationwide grant competition for equine rescues and sanctuaries is to raise awareness about the lifesaving year-round work the organizations do to care for at-risk horses.

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By Julie Sherwood

MPNnow

By Julie Sherwood

Posted Jun. 20, 2014 at 11:39 AM

By Julie Sherwood

Posted Jun. 20, 2014 at 11:39 AM

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ASPCA, has announced that Begin Again Horse Rescue in Lima is among five winners of the 2014 ASPCA Help a Horse Day Celebration contest.

The nationwide grant competition for equine rescues and sanctuaries is to raise awareness about the lifesaving year-round work the organizations do to care for at-risk horses.

The winning groups each receive a $10,000 grant to support their efforts. Along with Begin Again Horse Rescue, the others awarded are: EARTHEART in California); Equine Outreach in Oregon, Mylestone Equine Rescue in New Jersey, and STAR Ranch in North Carolina.

“While there are so many deserving equine rescues across the country, we are thrilled to award a total of $50,000 to these winning rescue groups, who embody the spirit and hope behind the ASPCA’s Help a Horse Day, ” stated Jacque Schultz, senior director of the ASPCA Equine Fund.

Contestants were judged on the creativity of their events, as well as their success engaging their local communities. The winning groups’ events included a town parade down main street featuring local elected officials, rescued horses and community members impacted by the equine group’s work, the creation of a “Pass It Forward” program encouraging community members to help their neighbors struggling to care for their horses, partnerships with local artists and businesses, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of Phase I of a barn raising.

The rescues also worked to recruit new volunteers, expand their support base and collect donated supplies, as well as find permanent homes for adoptable horses.

In 2013, the ASPCA awarded $1.4 million in grants to support equine rescues and sanctuaries in 43 states and the District of Columbia.